Unique and beloved Madison restaurant Ella's Deli is closing

The full-size carousel at Ella's Deli may have spun for the last time as the owners of the unique Madison restaurant announced Wednesday it's closing at the end of the month unless a buyer steps forward.

The restaurant on a well-trafficked spot on E. Washington Ave. with the neon hot air balloon sign beckoning the hungry and the curious for more than four decades will serve its last bowl of chicken matzo ball soup and french fried dill pickles on Jan. 31.

But owners Ken and Judy Balkin, who have owned the restaurant for 41 years, hope it doesn't come to that.

"There's nothing to be sorry about," Ken Balkin said in a phone interview Wednesday afternoon. "We're optimistic someone in the community or from around the state will want to carry on the tradition here."

Customers don't just eat at Ella's Deli, they're entertained by the cool, retro gizmos and decorations on every wall, the ceiling and even the tables. Where else can diners eat burgers and slurp ice cream cones beneath a giant smiling banana on legs, a life-size robot with televisions in its stomach and Superman — cape flying — traveling on a track on the ceiling?

After Ella's Deli posted the news on Facebook Wednesday, the messages began pouring in from people who ate there when they were kids or took their kids there for birthday meals.

Balkin said it has been difficult to keep the restaurant going in the competitive dining environment in Madison.

"It's a business that's very competitive these days, you have to be full steam ahead and we've been at it for a long time. It's time for someone else to pick up the ball," said Balkin.

"There's a variety of reasons. It's not that easy to find qualified staff and to pay a living wage, which is an issue on the top of our minds."

If a buyer isn't found, Balkin declined to say what will happen to all the knickknacks and displays inside the restaurant or the 1927 restored wooden carousel that twirled in the summer and fall months.

The kosher-style deli opened on State St. in the early 1960s and the current location opened in 1976.

"We're different and unique. We want to thank our employees over the years and our customers and hope that Ella's lives on," said Balkin.